Salad Atelier @ Sunway Velocity

I'm not one who would order salads at restaurants coz I've always felt that they're overpriced + it's something we can make at home (rather easily) if we wanted to.  After all, it's just a matter of putting together a combo of fresh greens and fruits to make a salad.  Except for the dressings...that I've to admit we can't replicate as well (the restaurants' ones are definitely more unique than the ones we can make at home).

But I've seen phonghongbakes enjoying their salads, so I finally gave Salad Atelier @ Sunway Velocity a try when I succumbed to Shopee's Super Deal promotion of 50% off (or RM18 off for a minimum spend of RM36) recently + delivery is also free.  I used to have to pay additional for delivery from Sunway Velocity, Aeon Maluri or Pandan Jaya (coz the max delivery discount was only RM3 then) but now there's a RM4 off delivery voucher (for minimum spend of RM15 at selected restaurants) that we can claim. 

I've never had kale before, so I thought I'd give the Kale Citrus Chicken Salad @ RM34.90 a go.  This is predominantly a kale salad topped with roasted chicken, pomegranates, grapefruit, tangerines, cashew nuts and shredded cheese (which I left instructions to omit but they never read!) served with tangy mango and elaiese dressing.  Luckily, the taste of cheese was quite mild from the few pieces left behind that I didn't manage to pick out.

To bump up my order to RM36 so that I can enjoy the Super Deal of 50% off, I had to add in a can of Ayataka Japanese Green Tea @ RM3.70.  No problemo since green tea is good for us.

The grapefruit (unfortunately) had a slight bitterness to it but (luckily) the tangerines brought some sweetness to the salad as they were juicy and sweet....the pomegranates too which I loved for its crunchy texture and burst of juices when you bite into one (there was just not enough of it).  The cashew nuts well, let's just say, I can do better at home to bring out that roasted flavour and toasty, nutty aroma.  The roast chicken was just bland, dry and unimpressive and, safe to say, it won't be my choice of protein from now on for my salads.

Sadly, the kale I did not love at all....it was rough and chewy...with a green taste, not crunchy nor juicy like say lettuce.  It's a bit like eating arugula but at least rocket has a peppery taste and is not bland tasting like kale.  If each forkful of kale was not accompanied by something (a protein or a piece of juicy fruit), it was difficult to eat on its own.  Yes, I felt like a moo moo cow grazing on grass...great for the cow but not necessarily great for me! :D  I suppose it's okay once in a while because of kale's health benefits but I won't go looking for it anytime soon.  Now I know for sure I don't like kale.

The salad came with a tub of tangy mango dressing and a tub of Elaiese oil (which is supposedly premium red palm fruit oil known for its natural nutrients and health benefits).  The Elaiese oil looked quite intimidating with its ruby red colour, so I tasted it first before pouring it over my salad.  

I found it to be light tasting without any unwanted strong flavours, so I was okay with drizzling some over the salad...but not too much as it still had that oily aftertaste.  I probably used about two spoonsful but emptied the entire tub of tangy mango dressing into the salad.  You could certainly taste the mango flavour in the dressing, so it was light and tangy, but there were with some minced white bits in it (not sure what those were...garlic, perhaps (though it was soft and didn't have that strong garlic taste)?  Could it possibly even be some mild tasting cheese? >.<

For my second salad order, I was thinking of a DIY Salad where you get to choose the size of the salad to suit your tank (aptly named rabbit, raccoon, tiger, panda or dinosaur) and the ingredients (choice of base, main, supplementary, prime & dressing) you want to put in your salad.  But I quickly abandoned the idea coz it was quite a hassle, not to mention time consuming, to go through the never-ending list of ingredients.  When we get to choose, we can be quite fickle-minded and usually end up picking more than we're supposed to (which will bump up the price of the salad) or we could also end up choosing ingredients and dressing that don't work so well together.  Plus, from my earlier experience, I also don't trust them to do a good job of picking all the ingredients in my list, after all, they made a mess of my note to them to omit the shredded cheese in my earlier salad.

They offer a variety of signature salads (as in ready-assembled options so that we don't have to crack our heads to select the ingredient-pairing) such as Greek God, Rama Thai, Vegan Thunder, The Cartel, Godfather and the Rising Sun (though not all options are available daily).

I chose Rama Thai @ RM30.30 coz I remembered phonghong mentioning that the prawns were good and this salad was the only one available that day that had prawns as its protein along with garden greens, mango, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumber and brown rice as its base.

As far as salads are concerned, I always welcome diced mango in my salads for its juicy-sweet taste.  This time, the mango had just the right ripeness, not overly ripe (nor overly sweet) for that nice, firm bite.

The spicy prawns were boiled prawns with a crunchy texture (a bit like frozen prawns but taste slightly better).  It could well be those already cooked prawns you get in a packet (that we often see sold in supermarkets).  You can see little specks of chilli on them which provided a bit of heat.  They were alright although you can't compare them to fresh, cooked prawns.

The garden greens of romaine lettuce, frisee, cherry tomatoes and Japanese cucumber were there to add crunch and juiciness to the salad.  The few sticks of asparagus were over blanched till soft and not crunchy anymore.

The best thing about this salad was the homemade Thai Sukiyo dressing with its combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.  It had a good dose of spiciness with some light sweetness and tartness...very appetising indeed.

The only thing I didn't like was the base of brown rice as it had a dry mouthfeel.  I don't think brown rice was an appropriate base for this salad, garden greens would have been a better combo (I personally would have preferred greens too as a base).  I didn't finish the salad at one go (it was a good portion size) and left the balance in the fridge.  It was even better eaten cold later (after I discarded the brown rice) as the greens of lettuce and cucumber became even crunchier to the bite (this is an excellent salad to keep for later consumption).

Similarly, to make the price go beyond RM36 so that I can get RM18 off, I had to include a bottle of Vitamin Water (Triple Berry) @ RM7.25.  Not an issue since I like berry-flavoured drinks...and this one was refreshing and only lightly sweet which was perfect for me! ;)

My Personal Opinion

Between the two salads I tried, I liked some of the components from each salad.  For one, the prawns were certainly a better protein than the dry roasted chicken and I also like the inclusion of juicy fruits in my salads like tangeriens, mangoes, pomegranates and grapefruit.  Going forward, I guess a DIY salad is my best option (where I get to pick what I want) and hope for the best (that they don't miss out any ingredients).

Well, I'm not one to pay RM30 for a salad....but if  I can get it at half the price, then I certainly don't mind ordering a healthy salad every now and then...and having it with a uniquely delicious dressing that doesn't come out of a bottle! ^_~

Salad Atelier

Lot 5-03i Sunway Velocity Mall

Lingkaran SV Sunway Velocity

55100 Kuala Lumpur

#ewew cooks Tilapia a Few Ways

If there's a steamed fish that's a favourite order at dai chow restaurants, it would be tilapia (or fei chau yue, either black or red) for its very affordable price tag.  I remember it used to cost between RM13 - RM15 once but now that's no longer the case as the price has doubled (at least) to anything between RM25 - RM45 for a whole fish.  As with the rising prices of most (more like all) fish, even one of the cheapest fish is now not that cheap anymore.

The most common preparation for tilapia is to have it steamed with ginger and soy sauce.  Some dai chow places would also offer it steamed assam-style or in a freshly blended chilli paste.

I've never bought tilapia frozen or in fillet-form before (to cook) and was hesitant in getting it at first as I've only eaten fresh tilapia steamed whole or deep-fried.  I can do steam at home, no problem, but would it be as nice if it's not a whole fish?  I know I wouldn't want to do deep-fried at home for the mess it creates and it also wouldn't turn out as crispy since it's not a whole fish (+ the fillets are also skinless).

I leave the deep-frying to the restaurants where I order it....hee...hee.  It's great deep-fried if you don't like it steamed as some steamed ones can have a muddy taste if the fish is not in its best and freshest quality.  I love it fried (served with an oil + soy sauce) just as much as steamed.

The first time I bought these frozen tilapia fillets was for a Chinese New Year steamboat dinner.  It probably wasn't the best idea since the delicate fish tend to disintegrate into pieces but the freshness was alright, so I decided to get some from Vfresh to cook (theirs is the red variety).  After all, it's an inexpensive fish (at RM7 a fillet), so it's a small price to pay if it doesn't work out....but it turned out better than I expected.  Here's a look of what I did with these frozen tilapia fillets.

#1 - Pan-Seared Tilapia with Fresh Fruits

Seeing that this fish was a fairly thin slice, I decided to simply pan-fry it as it'll cook in no time.  I seasoned the fish fillet with salt and black pepper as well as rubbed it with garlic powder and smoked paprika before sprinkling a good dose of dried parsley on it.  Pan-fry it for 2 - 3 minutes on each side but be very careful when flipping as the fish is so delicate it's quite easy to break apart (use your hands to help if you have to).

As you can see, the belly part of the fish still fell apart when flipped (as it was so thin and fragile) even with careful handling (as the fish already had cuts down the middle).  Never mind that presentation-wise, it may not look its best but it certainly tasted its best.

I pan-fried mine in corn oil (you can use olive oil).  You can even add a knob of butter at the end and butter-baste the fish to enhance its flavour and juiciness further.  I don't think it was necessary (while keeping the dish super healthy) as the fish was already so tender and juicy as it was.

Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve it with a fresh salsa or even just fresh fruits (as the case here) with mangoes and grapes.  This gives even more freshness to the dish.  The fish turned out so soft, flaky and delicately textured which made this such a light meal to eat.....I loved it!  This was one of the best pan-fried fish I've cooked and eaten at home (you bet I'll be making this more often from now on). ^o^

#2 - Stir-fried Tilapia with Chinese Black Beans

I got the inspiration to cook this dish from GoodyFoodies when she made stir-fried fish fillet in spicy black bean sauce.  Since I didn't have any black bean sauce, I used the leftover Chinese fermented black beans (or dou si) from my unfinished can of dou si yue.  I always finish the fish but never the dou si as they're too salty (now I know what to do with the extra dou si...hehe!).

Actually, I don't cook with fish fillets all that much until I started buying frozen fish from Vfresh.  That's because the fish sold at wet markets are only sold whole or in steak cut.  So I end up either steaming or frying the fish steaks.  Now that I have access to fish fillets, it definitely opens up to a lot more recipes that I can try to cook.

#3 - Bread-Crumbed Tilapia with Fries & Tomatoes

When presented with fish fillets without bones, one of the first thing that comes to mind is the ever popular fish & chips that's well received by many.  But that needs a much firmer fish than tilapia and it also needs to be deep-fried which I'm not eager to do at home.  So, I thought I'd do a bread-crumbed fish instead since I had two pieces of leftover bread in the fridge.

All you need to do is blitz the bread till fairly fine and pour it out onto a plate.  Dip your piece of (seasoned) fish into a mixture of flour first and shake off the excess (I used cornflour since that was what I had in my pantry).  Next, dip it into a mixture of beaten egg wash followed finally by the fresh breadcrumbs.  I like to lightly season all my dips too (with a bit of salt & black pepper) so that each layer has flavour.  The final dip of breadcrumbs, I seasoned with dried parsley (fresh if you have) and a bit of cayenne pepper (for a hint of spice).  I shallow fried it in a mixture of olive and corn oil (you could use butter too) in medium-low heat (the heat can't be too high or the breadcrumbs will burn before your fish is cooked).

You can serve your bread-crumbed fish with fries and a salad.  I happened to have some tomatoes in the fridge so I thought I'd bread-crumb them too (like the fish) since there was plenty left behind.  I was trying to imitate panko-crusted (or bread-crumbed) fried green tomatillos but, truth be told, my leftover red tomatoes were a bit too ripe (make sure you get firmer, less ripe ones).  Nevertheless, they were still juicy and tasty, just not crispy...lol.

I ate my bread-crumbed tilapia with a dollop of Lemon & Herb dressing which I bought recently from The Pantry Guys on Shopee.  The words "ideal for potato salads, coleslaw or drizzle on fish or chicken (all things I like)" got me sold.  The taste is a bit like mayo except with a hint of citrusy tang (from the lemon & herbs) which made it more uplifting and refreshing...and less cloying than mayo.  It was very nice indeed (a bit like a tartar sauce).  I'm not a big fan of white-type dressings (on salads) but love tartar sauce with fish and fries.

The breadcrumbs coating was super crispy and the tilapia was flaky, tender and delicious....loved it to the max! ;)  This is a recipe that I'm very certain I'd make again (and I now have a tartar sauce to go with it). ^o^

#4 - Garlicky Lime Baked Tilapia with Cilantro Lime Rice

This a dish that's easy to love as it's bright and fresh...with the fish being mild-flavoured.  The use of lemon or lime juice is also ideal to get rid of any potential fishy or muddy taste the fish may have.

Place a piece of tilapia on a glass dish and season simply with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  In a bowl, mix together some softened butter and olive oil (I used a bit of both, olive oil for the healthy aspect and butter for the browning), chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, lime juice and lime zest (you can use lemon too) and pour over the tilapia fillet.  Top with a few lime rounds if you have extras.  Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked.

You can make this budget-friendly fish in the oven from start to finish and serve it with some blanched greens or a salad for a light meal.  But I decided to serve the tilapia fillet over a bed of cilantro lime rice cooked with chicken broth, a bit of butter (I used a little flavoured oil, garlic or onion oil is fine) and salt.  Once cooked, stir in fresh cilantro leaves and lime juice for that citrusy zing.

This is a dish that you'd want to eat if you don't have much of an appetite.  It's a dish that just screams fresh, fresh, fresh!  The lime juice and cilantro leaves in both the fish and rice is what that gives it that burst of freshness.  I loved the mild, delicate flavour of the tilapia with that punchy taste provided by the garlic and red pepper flakes.  I can eat this over and over and over again! ^.^

Based on what I cooked, it was quite obvious that the western-style treatment of the (more locally accepted) tilapia was more successful...and more tasty (which was surprisingly the opposite of what I did with the frozen Asian seabass/siakap fillets earlier...it should have been the other way round...haha!).  Going forward, I'd definitely want to do more of these pan-fried, bread-crumbed and baked tilapia recipes....whether exactly the same recipe or with a little variation coz they were just so good.  And the best thing about eating tilapia fillets...they're bones-free! ^_~

Have You Tried ShopeeFood?

We are all more than familiar with food delivery services like GrabFood, FoodPanda and AirAsiaFood together with some other less popular or lesser known platforms.  Enter another new player.....ShopeeFood which was officially launched in late September 2021.

I was only aware of this sometime in mid-October though and has been ordering food delivery mainly from this platform since.  And that's because I want to take advantage of the massive good discounts they offer now.  I think that's probably because they're a new player in the market and need to drum up as much support and awareness as they can.  I don't know how long these attractive discounts will last, so use them while you can! ;)

So, what discounts are up for grabs?  Well, first of all, it's almost free delivery with RM3 off (for first 3 km) but don't be too happy when you see the restaurant listed as 1 km away (thinking delivery will be free coz it isn't a straight line) as you may still be charged extra for delivery (after taking into account the given RM3) as only Shopee knows how the actual distance is calculated.  I've only been charged an extra RM1 or RM2 for delivery so far.

The food discounts offered may change slightly on a daily basis but generally you'll be getting more or less anything from 30% - 50% off like...RM4 off for minimum spend RM12, RM6 for RM18, RM8 (or RM9) for RM25 and RM10 (or RM11) for RM30 spent.  Sometimes there may be special promotions like RM11 off for minimum spend RM22 (in conjunction with the 11.11 sale).  Are these discounts attractive or what?

The discounts are especially attractive for those eating alone....and by that, I mean if you're ordering for one.  It'll all become clear in a little while when you see some of what I've had (a mixture of new as well as familiar places).  Note that prices quoted here are delivery prices which are higher than in-store prices (just like any delivery platform).

#1 - Chicken Master Hokkien Mee, Pandan Indah

This place is supposedly well-known for their Fried Hokkien Mee + Meehoon @ RM13 (price became RM9 with RM4 off but I got it for RM6.75 less shopee coins + free delivery).  Good portion size with a fair amount of lean pork slices and choy sum, some pork liver and fried pork lard but I think I found only one prawn and a thin sliver of squid (if that was what it was!).

I've had this a few times already since.  Once I ordered it together with Salted Egg Squid Rice @ RM16, so price became RM18 with RM11 off (final price paid was RM13.50 after offsetting Shopee coins + free delivery).  So glad that I finally got to try this fried Hokkien mee via ShopeeFood which turned out better than I expected since I was told by two food operators near them that it wasn't nice (moral of the story...don't believe the competition?..lol)!  I now have a newfound favourite fried Hokkien mee in my area.

#2 - Roti Bakkawa, Taman Shamelin Perkasa

Other than the market, it's not easy to find stalls selling roti bakwa in coffee shops (best ones are those toasted over charcoal fire but that's even harder to find!).  I love this simple local sandwich for breakfast and was so happy to find one on ShopeeFood.  The Roti Bakwa @ RM6.20 is simply an elongated bun, grilled over a flat pan (similar to those used by burger stalls) for that requisite charred flavour, with a slice of bakwa and some meat floss in between, finished with a squeeze of mayo and chilli sauce.  Absolute comfort food...with childhood taste and memories! ^o^

Besides roti bakwa, they also have other types of roti like this Roti with Ham & Egg @ RM6.80 finished with some slices of cucumber, chilli sauce and mayo.  I quite like this one too as the omelette is rather fluffy (total cost for both the roti came up to RM13, I used the RM4 off voucher, so final price paid was RM7.75 after offsetting Shopee coins & paying RM1 on top of the RM3 free delivery).

#3 - Restoran Kok Kee Hawker, Pandan Cahaya, Ampang

This place offers siew chow (or one-dish meals) that's ideal for my spouse's consumption and we've had this a few times already.  This was the Dry-Fried Beef Kuey Teow @ RM10.50 and Salted Fish Minced Pork with Rice @ RM9.50 (total price RM20, actual price paid RM10.50 after using Shopee coins + free delivery).

Two orders of fried rice, one Whitebait Aberdeen Fish Fried Rice and one Luncheon Meat Fried Rice, both RM9 each (total price of RM18 was just perfect for the RM6 voucher off, so final price paid was RM9 with free delivery).  P/S: The name Whitebait Aberdeen sounded so fancy that I just had to google it and it's actually called that (well, now I know).

#4 - Rojak & Cendol Malik, Pandan Indah

So, while the boys had their fried rice, I went with an order of Rojak Biasa @ RM7.90 from my favourite go-to rojak & cendol truck in my taman.

But the rojak alone wouldn't be enough to use any voucher, so I added an extra Cendol (Kacang + Jagung) @ RM5.70 (that comes with red beans and canned sweet corn) for my sweet-toothed husband (total price RM13.60 so that I can use the RM4 discount, final price paid RM7.20 after offsetting Shopee coins & delivery is free, of course).

#5 - D'Laksa, Aeon Taman Maluri

I used to have this assam laksa when I do my grocery shopping at Aeon but that was before the pandemic struck.  Now I just get everything online or from my own housing area that there's no necessity to even visit Aeon anymore.  The Assam Laksa @ RM9.90 wasn't as good as I remembered it to be...it was a little bit more sourish and intense in flavour (and the broth doesn't look as reddish as before and lacking that hint of sweetness).  Since no-one in my family eats assam laksa, I still got two (kept one in the fridge for the next day) so that I could use the RM6 discount voucher (total price RM19.80, final price paid was RM11.35 after deducting Shopee coins & paying RM1 extra for delivery).

#6 - 4Fingers Crispy Chicken, Berjaya Times Square

Sometimes it even makes sense to use more than one Shopee account to order food (especially if the food is more costly like 4Fingers in this instance) so that we can max out the discounts...lol! :D  Like my order of 6 pcs Wingettes & Drumettes Combo @ RM25.90 (comes with Teriyaki Rice & Drink) with add-on Mochi @ RM4.90 (total price RM30.80, I used the RM10 Shopee discount & paid an additional RM2 for delivery, final price paid RM17.60 less Shopee coins).  The mochi (mixed flavours of red bean & pandan) turned out rather pleasant.

And used another account to order the Boneless Chicken Bites Combo @ RM21.90 (comes with Teriyaki Rice & Drink) with add-on Tofu Nuggets @ RM6.50 and Loaded Fries with Seaweed Sprinkles @ RM8.90 (total price RM37.30 before factoring in Shopee discount of RM10 & RM2 delivery).  Fun Fact: When I went out to collect my order, both riders happened to arrive at the same time...with a smile on their face (they must have 'compared notes'....hee..hee).  Well, it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned...coz both riders can get their commission and we can get our food with the best discounts).

#7 - Thong Kee, Pandan Indah

I've only dined-in at this place once or twice with it not leaving much of an impression on me but was utterly surprised when I saw that their Char Kueh Teow (Kerang) @ RM7.70 had garnered 2.7k orders todate!  So, I was intrigued to order that just to see why so many people seems to go gaga over it.  The char kueh teow (CKT) came with prawns (I think there was only one, maybe two), some fish cake slices and a few cockles.  Overall, the CKT was a little wetter than usual (maybe because it was steaming in the box as it arrived piping hot and I believe it'll taste even better eaten on-site), perhaps slightly oily, but the flavours were certainly there.

Although it's not going to win my affection for best CKT (as it definitely can't come near the standard of my favourite CKT + I've also had other better CKT), it has my approval for probably the best CKT you can find in our taman.  So I can see why our residents flock to this CKT coz our area really suck when it comes to good CKT (especially after the best one above moved away). :'(

In order to make up the price to qualify for a discount, I got an additional Muffin @ RM4.90 which, unfortunately, looked nothing like the picture...this was a sad-looking muffin (total price RM13.60, final price paid RM6.45 after lessing RM5 discount & Shopee coins + free delivery).

#8 - Ichiban Ramen, Aeon Taman Maluri

This place has been one of my dine-in stopovers whenever I'm shopping at Aeon.  Like 4Fingers, this meal was also made using two Shopee accounts.  This was my Teppanyaki Beef Set @ RM23.10 with teppanyaki-style beef (cooked with sliced onions) and stir-fried beansprouts + julienned carrots.  Don't know why the add-on rice cost RM5.60 with this set but only RM2.50 with the other bentos (total price RM23.10, actual price paid RM11.58 after taking off RM9 discount but paying additional RM1 delivery).

Our second order (from another account) was the Japanese Gyoza & Teriyaki Chicken Bento @ RM14.90 and Yakiniku Beef & Gyoza Bento @ RM21.90 (total price RM 36.80 before using the RM11 discount with this). The generous portion of 5 pcs of gyoza is certainly helpful towards making you full.  If you ask me, I couldn't detect any difference in taste between the teppanyaki and yakiniku beef.

#9 - Little Boy Wonton Noodles, Pandan Indah

You won't believe what I'm about to tell you.  This is the only eatery I found on ShopeeFood whose prices have no mark-up and are similar to in-shop prices! O_o  Perhaps the stall owner made a mistake....sorry, your loss, my gain.  This stall (in Xin Fu Ji coffee shop) specialises in wantan mee with options for char siew + wantan, deep-fried wantan or dumpling and braised chicken feet with mushroom.

After trying a few options, the Wantan Mee (with Deep-Fried Wontons) @ RM7 was what I liked the most.  It comes with seven (I repeat 7!) fried on-the-spot, big and crispy wontons (nothing like those small ones you usually get elsewhere).  Although I've to admit the sauce of wonton noodles isn't quite there yet, the plentiful and generously filled wontons more than make up for it.  When we order two portions, the price comes up to RM14 and we can knock off the RM4 discount making it an insane price of RM5 for one!  Now, where can you top that? :O

#10 - Fast Yakitori @ Taman Muda, Ampang

I was blindsided to make an order by the amount of lidi (bamboo skewers) I could get for the price....greedy me!  So, I put an order for Pork Yakitori @ RM15 (for 30 sticks, RM0.50 a stick) and Squid Yakitori @ RM15 (for 20 sticks, RM0.75 a stick).

Actual price paid RM20 after discounting RM10 (additional RM1 for delivery).  Now can you understand that all I saw was a lot of lidi?  Lol.  The meat on the sticks was so thin and barely 2 inches in length! @_@  But kudos to the workers for being able to thread such a thin slice of meat on a skewer....that needs some serious skill.  Not only was I disappointed with the meagre meat (that wasn't even tender), it was also under seasoned to the point of being tasteless and no dipping sauce either.  Needless to say, no second time for this one! >:(

#11 - Classic Taiwan Braised Pork Rice, Pandan Indah

Before spotting this on ShopeeFood, I didn't even notice such a place in my housing area and that's because I didn't look up (coz they weren't located on the ground floor).  We had the Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork Rice @ RM13.50 and Taiwanese Crispy Fried Pork Steak Rice @ RM15 (total price RM28.50, actual price paid RM13.13 after taking off RM11 discount & Shopee coins, delivery - free).

With another account, we got the Taiwanese Salty Crispy Chicken with Rice @ RM13.50 and a side order of Spicy & Crispy Fried Eggplant @ RM12 (for a total price of RM25.50 and eligible for another RM11 off).  The dishes that have the classic Taiwanese seasoning powder fared better than the braised items as it didn't quite nail that sticky dark braise that I like.

#12 - Uncle Chua's Prawn Noodle, Taman Putra, Ampang

I read about this good prawn noodle from a blog and was elated when I found it on ShopeeFood.  I wasted no time in putting in an order of their Signature Prawn Noodle @ RM15.90 to try.  Added a Red Bean Dessert (Hot) @ RM5.90 to bump up the price to RM21.80 so that I can use the RM6 discount voucher (final price paid RM12.85 inclusive of RM1 extra for delivery & after deducting Shopee coins).

The prawn broth has a more murky look than the usual clear ones, also a more savoury taste than sweet.  It was different but good especially if you're one who doesn't like your broth too sweet as some can be.  Their homemade chilli paste is also very different from the norm, watery in consistency (instead of the common thick sambal) but it does pack quite a salty punch, so do taste the broth first before adding some (or all) of the chilli paste.

#13 - Restoran KW, Pandan Indah

I've blogged about this place being one of our favourite dinner time haunts.  When I found them listed on ShopeeFood (only recently), I thought I might as well make use of the convenience of delivery which beats having to drive out there to tapau ourselves.  As for the discounts, it's almost negligible coz they marked up their prices a bit too much from their in-store prices.  We used one account to order the Eggplant with Salted Fish Rice @ RM13.90 (to offset the RM6 discount).

And used another to order the Luncheon Meat Fried Rice @ RM13.90 and (Plain) Fried Rice @ RM11.50 (total RM25.40, actual price RM13.05 after redeeming the RM8 discount & Shopee coins).  Their fried rice (which I've never tried before) was outstanding as it had lots of wok hei.

#14 - A & W @ G Village, Desa Pandan

And this week happens to be Fast Food Week (or Fest) on ShopeeFood, so even more appealing discounts like RM18 off for RM36 for fast food! :O  So, guess what?  We ordered A & W (and 4Fingers) of course.  I ordered Feast C (1 Chicken Coney, 1 Beef Coney, 2 pcs Aroma Chicken, 1 Side of Fries & 2 bottles of Root Beer) @ RM49 to share (and got RM18 off).  My husband has never had A & W's fried chicken before and ended up liking it that much he ordered it again the very next day (both times we requested for chicken thigh).

This time he opted for mashed potatoes....I didn't know (or forgot) that they came with minced meat on top, the same thing that's ladled over the coney dog (chicken or beef...but, between the two, chicken tasted better over mashed potatoes though beef is better with the coney dog, don't ask me why).  I'd rather have this than their fries since theirs aren't the best tasting fast food fries out there. >.<

#15 - Chee Cheong Fun & Hakka Yong Tau Foo, Pandan Perdana

Some of these small-time hawkers don't even have a name (for their business).  Ordered Curry Chee Cheong Fun with Fu Chuk Roll, Bentong Tau Foo Pok & Stuffed Eggplant @ RM7.10 (total) for breakfast. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a disaster as the curry (instead of being thick and savoury) was diluted and slightly sourish in taste.  The fish paste in the yong tau foo was thin and not very tasty.

The Dried Shrimp Chili Chee Cheong Fun @ RM5.60 saved the day morning (total RM12.70, I used the RM5 voucher I bought, so actual price paid was RM6.78 after adding RM1 delivery & deducting Shopee coins).  It was topped with fragrant dried shrimps and fried shallots (not store-bought) with a drizzle of spicy chili oil. It was a bit bland as I could only taste spiciness from the chili oil, so I drizzled some light soy over it and it made such a big difference...so much better.  Safe to say I'll be ordering only this from them in future.

I believe these discounts by Shopee are short term just to introduce themselves to the market and to make a presence so as to entice us to switch food delivery platforms.  So, milk them for everything they give us before it's all gone! >_<

The good thing is if you have more than one Shopee account in your household, you can make your orders separately to max out the discounts.  Just do a bit of math for the best possible end result.  And what's more, this is a good way to use up your Shopee coins before they expire.

Because of the good discounts offered by Shopee (for now), the prices end up still lower (at most places) than dine-in prices or if you went out to tapau yourself though there will be some eateries where the prices came up to about the same but if it means you don't have to reverse your car out of your driveway and drive there yourself, I say it's still worth it...haha (that's why I even order from the shops in my own housing area).  I've been ordering from a slew of restaurants near me, some new and some familiar...and along the way discovered some good/new eating places and some disastrous ones too!  So, this lazy bum has been using ShopeeFood quite a lot lately coz with such great discounts, there's no need to slave in the kitchen really. ^o^

But, as with any ShopeeFood discount vouchers, they're similar in concept to the Shopee (shopping) discounts where they can be fully redeemed before you get to use them.  I've experienced that as more and more people get on board with ShopeeFood lately.  I've also had orders cancelled recently (automatically after about 15 minutes) due to not being able to find drivers during peak meal times! :(

Even as I speak, the RM4 & RM6 discounts for the lower minimum spend of RM12 & RM18 are fast becoming a thing of the past....but, fret not, as there are still many other attractive discounts to use.  And if you can't find one, there's always the last resort of buying the ShopeeFood Savings Pass for only RM0.30 that will entitle you to RM5 off for a minimum spend of RM10....and you get not only one RM5 voucher....but three!! But you can only buy one ShopeeFood Savings Pass per active session (as in a week).  Only 10 sen for each RM5 off and you get to use it 3 times a week....now I can have 3 subsidised breakfasts delivered right to my door every week...cheap and convenient!  What a deal, right?  Can you find anything that can top this?  

If the pandemic has had an effect on your budget, I hope this little sharing of mine can help you in a small way to alleviate that.  Or if you're just looking to get some meals cheaper (who isn't)...I don't know about you but I'm always up for a good deal.  Don't say I bojio (never invite) you to the party.....hehe! :D